FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) : Mobile SDK
Our answers to frequently asked questions about mobile SDKs so far are shown below. Before you email us your questions, please check the following.
FAQ
Are the SDKs on this website available for free?
Yes, the SDKs on this website are available free of charge, once you have accepted the EULA.
Which devices support the additional printing features described on this site?
We provide SDKs for Windows Mobile, Windows CE (Bluetooth®, IrDA, USB, Wi-Fi®), and for Android™ (Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®). These SDKs enable you to develop programs to print from Brother mobile printers.
Which models support ESC/P commands?
Brother mobile printers have printer fonts and you can print by using ESC/P compatible printer commands.
If you develop a program which sends print data from a host device, then you can use these commands to print from the printer.
Please visit the Brother Solutions Center where our ESC/P Command Reference Manuals are available. ESC/P compatible commands are standard in all of our mobile printers, but there are some differences between models. Please refer to the latest Command Reference Manuals for details.
How do I print logos?
Please check the supported commands of your model, and use either of the following method.
- It is possible to print logos by using a raster SDK or printer driver.
- It is possible to print logos by using an ESC/P graphic command.
- It is possible to print logos by using P-touch Template. Prepare template data including logos with P-touch Editor and transfer them in advance to the printer main body by using the Transfer Manager.
For details, please refer to the Command Reference Manuals for your printer.
Is it possible to print Chinese characters, Hindi or other languages using the SDK?
Yes, this is possible.
Our standard SDK has a printing feature that uses API tools from Windows. It is possible to draw a bitmap picture on to a device and send the data to a printer. You can print out any text that you can see on the screen of your handheld device which is running either Windows Mobile or Windows CE without mis-encoding. If it cannot be shown on the screen of your handheld device, it cannot be printed from the machine.
I have experience in adding custom printer support to my own programs. Is it easy to add printer support for Brother mobile printers?
Please refer to the Command Reference Manuals for your target mobile printer.
If you have experience in outputting graphic images to a printer, please refer to the Raster Command Reference Manuals.
If you have experience in using ESC/P commands to control printing, please refer to the ESC/P Command Reference Manuals.
If you have experience in using ZPL® II commands to control printing, please refer to the P-touch Template 2.0 Command Reference Manual.
They are available from the Brother Solutions Center.
I already have an application to print from a Brother mobile printer. Can I also print from other Brother mobile printers using this?
Small changes to your application will be required if you used the SDKs for the same platform and developed a program for a different printer. Please download the latest version of the SDK and then rebuild the program. Please refer to the manuals which are included in the SDKs.
How many variable objects can the printer receive using P-touch Template(in a lbx file)?
It depends on the printer. Please refer to the limitations in the P-touch Template Command Reference Manual for your target printer.
When I print directly to the machine via Bluetooth®, it will produce an incorrect printout, or a printing error will occur when not using the Software Development Kit.
When you are connecting the machine via Bluetooth®, the printer may not start to receive the data immediately after the port is opened. We advise to wait for an interval of 500 msec before sending the print data to the machine.
If you normally close and re-open the Bluetooth® port between prints, we would again advise to leave 500 msec between the port being closed and re-opened.
Also, once you have sent the print data, and the printing process has begun, do not close the port.
How do I use the infrastructure mode for PJ-673?
Please refer to the document "How to use the infrastructure mode for PJ-673".
![[PDF]](/g/s/es/dev/media/common/img/link_icon/01_pdf.png){kind=icon}
How do I switch between Raster, ESC/P, ZPL®, CPCL and Template command modes?
Please refer to the Command Reference Manual for your target printer, or please use the Printer Setting Tool to define the default command.
What fonts are used with each command mode?
Please refer to the ESC/P Command Reference Manual and P-Touch Template Command Reference Manual for your target printer.
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